Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid Stars Rested for Cornella by Carlo Ancelotti

Cristiano Ronaldo's phenomenal scoring run for Real Madrid this season will be briefly halted by the Copa del Rey. Ronaldo is one of many Los Merengues' stars who will be rested by manager Carlo Ancelotti for the cup match against Cornella.

The news was confirmed by Madrid's official Twitter feed:

Ronaldo is playing the best football of his illustrious career on Ancelotti's watch. As the focal point of a fluid team geared to counter-attack, but also adept enough to boss possession, Ronaldo is on an astonishing scoring run.

The 29-year-old has already hit a staggering 21 goals in all competitions this season, per ESPNFC.com. While Cornella won't be given much of chance against Los Blancos, the Segunda B team's players will certainly be happy Ronaldo won't be on the pitch.

Of course, Ancelotti can afford to rest a star like Ronaldo, as well as the club's engine room, midfield pass-masters Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Few squads in the game are as deep and rich in talent as the one Ancelotti has at his disposal.

That theory will be put into practice as several stellar fringe players are set to feature in Cornella. AS reporter Nicholas Rigg has provided details of what the cup team will look like:

There are one or two intriguing selections to ponder. Chief among them is the inclusion of Asier Illarramendi. The former Real Sociedad star was once considered the natural successor to the now departed Xabi Alonso.

However, the 24-year-old has struggled for minutes this term. He's made just two starts this season, according to WhoScored.com.

This game represents an important audition for Illarramendi. He'll find it difficult to unseat either one of Modric or Kroos on a regular basis. Both are essential to the passing game Ancelotti insists upon.

But Illarramendi can't afford to waste an opportunity to show what he can do. If nothing else, a strong performance may put him in the shop window.

Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool, along with Serie A outfit AC Milan, are all vying for his services, per Daily Star reporter Chisanga Malata.

But despite any interest, Ancelotti will demand complete focus from Illaramendi and all of Madrid's players on cup duty. After all, he guided Real to victory in this competition last season:

Ancelotti needn't worry about a let-down, per ESPN FC writer Rob Train:

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Real Madrid, to their credit, have rarely disappointed when it comes to games like this, with the regulation stating seven first team squad players have to feature in cup games: the team that lost 4-0 in Alcorcon featured Raul, Guti, Benzema, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Raphael van der Vaart and Marcelo. The home fans at cup games want to see the stars that their players -- currently seventh in Segunda Division Group III -- can only dream of lining up against once in their careers.

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The trend of Madrid's recent cup success will continue even with the refreshed starting 11. It's safe to count on Karim Benzema, Isco and Javier Hernandez working enough magic to conjure a host of goals in Cornella.